Springtime
by InstaGimp
Summary: Why do you walk through the field in gloves, O poor youkai whom nobody loves?


**First fanfiction about Touhou, IMO one of the harder fandoms to write for as there is simply so much material to use and so much lore to know (though admittedly mostly fanon). As such, to ease my transition into this expansive series, I decided to incorporate some stuff from familiar territory-and by that I mean poetry.**

**My experience with the actual Touhou games is limited-it mostly consisted of watching my friend RQ over and over again while facing Yukari in PCB. (For this reason and many others, Yukari is by far my favorite character in Touhou.)**

**My apologies for this fanfic's being shorter than I had originally planned; however, I hope you all still enjoy. There may or may not be a sequel. And it may or may not be a songfic. The details are quite murky as of now.**

**And by the way, the story is intentionally called "Springtime", even though it takes place in the summer.**

**-InstaGimp**

* * *

><p>Springtime<p>

"Hey Reimu!"

Marisa's infectious laughter echoed throughout the shrine, causing the miko to stir from the chair she'd been sleeping in. "Marisa? I wasn't expecting visitors today."

"Well you have one now!" Marisa chirped. "So what do you want to do today? I'm rather bored."

"I..." Reimu frowned. What _was _she planning to do today? "I actually don't know."

"Hmm..." Marisa put on a thoughful expression. "I know! Let's danmaku, ze!"

"What!? But I haven't even eaten yet-"

"Okay, let's grab something to eat first, _then _danmaku!" Marisa yanked Reimu out of her seat. "I've improved a lot! Let's go!"

Reimu nearly blushed at the sudden contact and yelped as Marisa dragged her out the door.

From a nearby gap, Yukari watched the pair make their way towards the human village. She sighed. As always, something completely unpredictable ruined her plans. Knowing Reimu had nothing to do, Yukari decided to visit the shrine maiden, but of course someone had, on this perfectly normal day, just _happened _to drop by.

_It's not as if Reimu would have wanted to spend time with me anyway. She always acts so displeased to see me. She's never like that to..._

She glared at the blonde magician. How dare she take what was hers! She, a mere human!

Yukari sighed again. She needed to clear her head. Closing the gap, she called out to her shikigami, Ran, "I'm going for a walk."

In the adjacent room, Ran's eyebrow arched. Yukari _never _went for walks, especially not when there was no threat to Gensokyo at all. "Why?"

"No reason."

Ran understood her master's tone as _I'd rather not talk about it. _"Of course, master."

She heard the front door slam and shrugged. "At least she's not taking her anger out on _me_."

* * *

><p>The summer in Gensokyo this year was a rather hot one. Many youkai who might normally roam and frolic preferred to stick to the cool shade of the forests, and the residents of the human village were terribly bothered by the heat, even asking Cirno to help out of desperation. Unfortunately, the normally mischievous ice fairy refused to leave the Misty Lake.<p>

One youkai, however, was active as ever.

Yuuka Kazami wandered through the field of dazzlingly pretty (especially to her) sunflowers, a smile on her face as more popped up out of nowhere. She was careful not to crowd the sunflowers too closely together, though, as she knew overpopulation would lead to competition between the plants for resources, and she wanted to make the flowers self-sufficient for a period of time while she wasn't there.

It took a while for her to realize that she wasn't the only one in the Garden of the Sun.

Yuuka watched with interest as Yukari quietly and solemnly strolled through the flowers a meter or two away from her. It was extremely rare for the gap youkai to leave her home for no apparent reason, and even rarer to see the legendary figure with one's own eyes. "Good morning, Yukari."

"Oh hello, Yuuka." Yukari's tone lacked all of its usual liveliness. "Tending to the flowers as usual?"

"Yes," Yuuka answered simply. "And you?"

She saw Yukari nearly imperceptibly stiffen before replying, "Admiring the flowers." The blonde youkai fingered one of the sunflower petals. "They're pretty, aren't they?"

In that instant, Yuuka understood. The gap youkai was lovesick. Extremely so, in fact. But for whom? It couldn't be anyone she'd just met-that wasn't Yukari's style. Nor could it be anyone ordinary in Yukari's eyes...

The answer was obvious.

_She's in love with the Hakurei shrine maiden._

Yuuka smiled faintly. For such an intelligent, old, and powerful youkai, she had much to learn when it came to her emotions.

As Yukari turned to walk in a different direction, Yuuka called out softly,

_"Why do you walk through the field in gloves,_

_O poor youkai whom nobody loves?"_

Yukari whirled back around in shock. "Wh-"

_"__Why do you walk with such a frown_

_With so many pretty blooms all around?"_

Yukari snarled. "You don't understand! You will never understand!" Her eyes shot daggers at the insolent lower youkai in front of her. "I'll destroy you!"

Yuuka gave her a pitying look before continuing.

_"Why do you want to break the world apart?_

_Is it because of the hole in your heart?_

_Why do you love her? Others do, too._

_But if you stay like this she'll never love you."_

By now the lighthearted and cocky youkai that everyone knew (or thought they knew) was completely silent, her mind filled with turmoil. Part of her wanted to annihilate this flower maiden for her impertinence, but another, more rational part of her impelled her to listen.

_"You should be more direct. Show her that you care._

_Lay all your desires and emotions bare._

_Maybe she feels the same way. Who knows?_

_You won't know without trying, so see how it goes."_

Yuuka bravely took several steps forward and put a reassuring hand on the trembling youkai's shoulder.

_"But don't hide your thoughts. Don't let yourself dwell._

_Just tell her what you think and hope all ends well._

_And one day you may walk through this field in gloves_

_A happier youkai that somebody loves."_

Yuuka returned to her original location, bowed, and went back to tending to the sunflowers as if nothing had happened.

She heard the sound of a gap being opened and closed and smiled.


End file.
